Splatters of Light
by The Wonderful Nobody
Summary: She tilted her head to the side, her mind a jumble. What was wrong with her last night? Well sometime between the intense rock music, the bubbles, and the close dancing she had had a revelation... It had hit her last night. She loved him...
1. Splatters of Light

Splatters of Light 

She woke with the light splattering across her face through the lace curtains and stretched her small frame, smiling to herself. She opened her emerald eyes when the music wafted in through the air like the smell of Sunday morning breakfast. She frowned slightly. Had she forgotten to turn off her radio again? She groaned and struggled to free herself from the vice-like grip of the tangled sheets. She finally kicked free of them, nearly colliding headfirst into the floor in the process. She squealed as the sheets, as well as the huge pile of stuffed animals that she cuddled with, fell on top of her.

Laughter brought her eyes up from the floor to the figure standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Her eyes wavered over the long legs covered in worn out jeans, the bare chest rippling with muscles, and the face plastered with a grin. "Well, I was planning to come wake you up myself, but I think Mr. Bear beat me to it." Irvine laughed, pointing at the bear that was sitting on Selphie's chest. She smirked at him and threw the bear at him but he caught it easily. He dropped the bear on the bed and came to her aid, pulling her to her feet.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, blushing slightly as his body brushed past hers as he headed back towards the kitchen. She followed him, trying to keep her eyes trained on his face and not letting them drift elsewhere… Selphie strained her mind to remember last night. She didn't remember drinking massive amounts of alcohol while at Zell's birthday party last night, and she sure didn't remember bringing a half-naked cowboy home…

He leaned over the stove, scrambling the eggs, his face still graced with a grin. "Well, I was worried about you last night. You didn't seem as perky as you usually were and you're not one to leave a party early." He dumped the eggs onto a plate and added the perfect amount of salt and pepper, just to Selphie's tastes. "So this morning I woke up and decided to try and make you feel better. But… There's a catch!" He flashed her an amber glance and she felt the heat rising to her cheeks.

"What?" She mumbled, trying to remember to breathe as he came closer to her. He stood inches away from her, so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his tanned flesh. His hand came up to her face and his fingertips barely touched her as he pushed back strands of hair to tuck behind her ear.

"You tell me what was wrong with you last night." He pulled away from her and opened the refrigerator, digging around inside for ketchup. She tilted her head to the side, her mind a jumble. What was wrong with her last night? Well sometime between the intense rock music, the bubbles, and the close dancing she had had a revelation... She and Irvine had been really close for a long time but neither of them had ever taken that one step to the next level beyond friendship. Feelings of doubt stuck to the insides of her heart, mind and stomach. What if he didn't feel the same way about her? What if her quiet confession to him damaged their friendship? It had hit her last night. She loved him...

They sat at the small table, her legs crossed on the cold wooden bench. He had slipped on a t-shirt but there was still something magnetic about the way he looked, dirty white shirt or not. His amber eyes glittered in the splatters of sunlight that danced across his face and his grin seemed to be permanent as he talked to her about everything and anything. She couldn't help but feel so full of glee that she was ready to explode with excitement. They finished their breakfast and he stood to leave. He leaned against the doorway, still grinning like he was hiding away a lovely secret. She eyed him with curiosity, placing her hands on her bony hips and pushing out her bottom lip in a pout.

"What, Irvine? You've been smiling like an idiot all morning! Tell me what's up!" She demanded, stamping her socked foot on the wooden floor. He bent his finger at her, beckoning her to come closer until she stood before him, in the doorway. His hands cupped her face and he knelt down to her, pressing his lips against hers. Time stood still for her. She was dizzy but it was an amazing type of dizzy. She clung to him to keep her balance and her lips still tingled with pleasure when he pulled away.

"I realized something last night, Selphie..." She stared at him with wide emerald eyes and he laughed, his fingers tracing the outline of her jaw. "I thought it might have been an overdose from all of those bubbles but I know that it had nothing to do with the bubbles and everything to do with you... Selphie, I love you!" And they kissed again, with the splatters of light warming their skin.


	2. Splatters of Love

Spatters of Love

Very rarely does love come easy for any two people. There are many obstacles and problems that stand in their way, which they must overcome hand in hand. Adversity most often strengthens the bond between two lovers, if handled appropriately. And for Selphie and Irvine, it never came easy. Even the moment in which they had revealed their true feelings for each other had happened only after months of each struggling with their feelings and thoughts about the other. Selphie knew she loved Irvine, but would their relationship be cohesive?

After all, he did have a bit of a reputation behind him. Women seemed to flock to him like birds, begging for scraps of love, which, by rumor, he offered so willingly. He had a smooth voice and a strong grip, which, by rumor, snuck him into the pants of many women. Could Selphie handle a man with such a history? After all, she herself was the mirror of innocence, a blushing virgin. She had yet to even be kissed. Her main focus her entire life had only been to be happy to be herself, to work hard, and always believe that the sun will come out. She had never been in love before, or given much thought to love or a relationship. Until she met Irvine, and became addicted to him, that is.

And now here she was, wrapped in his arms, drowning in his kisses.

"Irvine..." She whispered into his neck, her fingers tightening on his.

"Yes, Seffy?"

"Tell me again how much you love me?"

Irvine's hand slipped from her grasp and touched her jawline gently. He kissed her lips of honey and smiled in the warm sunlight. "Baby, I love you more than life itself. If it had came down to it, I would have given my life for you during the Sorceress War. And I still would, if need be. You're different from every other girl I've known." He kissed her again and she sighed in content. The words came easy, but would their relationship be just as easy as their love?

The days passed and it was never easy. Women were spiteful and hateful of Selphie for snagging Irvine, and they spit words of fury, both to her face and behind her back. All too many times their words cut like daggers, leaving Selphie in pain and in tears. Lies filled her ears from all too many people, trying to convince her that Irvine was unfaithful, unloving. And she would run back to his arms, and he would whisper away her pain and kiss away her tears. He always swore they were lying, but sometimes the black bug of jealousy bit at Selphie, leaving her red and raw.

And Irvine was facing his own bits of conflict. He had always been used to blatant, obvious women. Women that put it out in the open what they wanted, how they felt. And never were these women as innocent as Selphie. He wasn't used to having to figure out how Selphie really felt, what she wanted, or just how far he could go with her. At nights he would kiss her and she would push him away, and he would be left trying not to feel bitter. He really did love her, he just wasn't used to being in love.

Their love came in splatters, messy and unsure. They fought hard to be together, left in the end exhausted and worn, but feeling victorious. Eventually the world learned to leave them alone, that their words no longer cut as deep in toughened skin. And then the only adversity left to fight was each other.

"Selphie! Why'd you do that?" Irvine snapped, outraged as he soon realized that most of his gun magazines had been replaced by cuter, girlier magazines and his torn, old clothes had vanished from their hangers. She flinched at the sound of his anger, and doefully looked up from her card game. She watched wide-eyed as he angrily flung her magazines to the floor and ripped through the remaining clothes in the closet. He mumbled words of anger and her cheeks burned from his wide vocabulary of slander.

She hadn't meant to make him mad, but since he had moved into her dorm, the place had become a pigsty. The place she had so cozily lived in had soon become a shadow of its former self, replaced by a grungier, manly persona. She could barely navigate through the place without tripping over weapon parts or dirty clothes. She felt like she was being smothered and her only comfort was to return the place to some of its former glory. Apparently Irvine didn't feel the same.

"So what did you do with all of it?" He snapped again, whipping around to glare at her. She hugged tightly to Mr. Bear as she whispered that she had thrown his items out. He growled in frustration and disappeared into the kitchen. She sighed in dismay as she realized he was searching for his one remaining vice: alcohol. She scurried out of bed and stood in the doorway, her eyes full of desperation.

"Irvy, I'm sorry! I just felt like the place needed to be cleaned up a little bit... And the magazines were sooo old, like months old! So I thought it'd be okay to just get rid of them... And you just went shopping and bought all new clothes, and you hadn't even worn the dirty old stuff is sooo long... I thought you'd be okay with it..." She stuttered and fell short, clinging only to her love for him and the worn out teddy bear in her arms.

He slammed the bottle of liquor down and glared at her, the sparkle gone from his amber eyes. "So it would be okay if I threw that damn bear out then? How many other new damn bears do you have? And look how dirty and old that ugly bear is!" His words were fire that danced around her and burned her. The bear had been his first gift to her, the only remnant she had of their childhood together. Tears spilled from her eyes and she threw the animal to the floor.

"Fine, Irvine. Throw it out." She ran back to the bedroom and dived beneath the covers, sobbing her sorrows into her pillows. She missed the days when their love was new and fresh, when they were merely two new lovers, stumbling and caressing, and discovering each other. Before they knew each other's faults and weaknesses, before those same things could be used as weapons against each other. She missed the days when he could never say a cruel word to her, much less yell at her. She missed the days when he was the one thing that could truly make her smile...

An hour passed and she tossed and turned in bed. She could still hear Irvine in the kitchen occassionally, and every sound caused her to hold her breath. Her feelings of anger and bitterness soon melted away until all that was left was her feeling of hopelessness. She silently prayed that he would come back to the bedroom and kiss her and apologize and make her laugh. Or was it too late? Was this their falling out? It couldn't be, their love had been so strong, so beautiful...

"Seffy? Baby, are you awake?" She froze at the sound of his voice. It had startled her from her thoughts. She heard his footsteps approach the bed in the dark and felt the bed sag as he sat on the edge next to her. She expected the smell of alcohol but only smelt bread and honey. His hand grazed her face and she couldn't help but to smile. "There's my pretty girl..." He whispered, and his tone told her that he too was smiling. "I just want to tell you I'm sorry Selphie... I have to remind myself that you aren't like the other girls I've dated. You're my little ray of sunshine, and I hate to be that stupid little black cloud that ruins your day." She giggled at his analogy and flung her arms around him.

"Irvy, it's okay! I forgive you! I just feel so close to you and sometimes I don't think things through, I'm sorry! I wish I could replace everything I threw out.." He laughed and hugged her tighter.

"Just replace all the kisses we've missed out on this past hour or so that we've been apart, my little sunshine." He pressed his lips against hers and drank in her sweet taste of innocence and happiness. Their love came in splatters, an adversity that only made them stronger.


	3. Splatters of Lust

**Splatters of Lust**

Time crawled by like the ants that formed their little kingdoms in the dirt around the shrubbery in the Quad. Selphie and Irvine had finally become settled in their relationship. The foolish fights, the angry spats, and constant bickering become a faint memory of their past and they became comfortable with each other. Everyone truly accepted the fact that they were a steady, serious couple and agreed that the two genuinely loved each other. Selphie no longer concerned herself about other women or the few remaining cynics. She had newfound feelings that she was forced to confront in her own mind.

The blushing virgin soon found that she blushed less and less as her and Irvine got more and more physical. After time, it felt more than just right. It just felt… She couldn't even find the words to describe it. He had learned to accept that he had to be gentle and sweet with her, that he had to handle her like a porcelain doll. But as the days crept onward and the kisses deepened, Selphie found herself wanting more and more of Irvine.

And these feelings scared her. There were so many responsibilities when it came to becoming that physical with another human being, was she ready to accept them all? She was so unsure, so afraid. What if something happened? What if she got pregnant? What if she thought she was ready, and later she realized she wasn't as ready as she had thought she was? What if it changed their relationship in a bad way? What if it tore them apart, instead of bringing them closer, like she wanted it to?

But she loved Irvine so much, with all her heart, that she knew a moment would come when they would take their relationship even further, and give themselves entirely to each other, both emotionally and physically. She could only hope for the best of such a moment…

Two years had slipped by so fast, and so much had changed. The world was so different than it had been in their younger days. The Garden seemed to grow smaller and smaller, and they knew every inch of it like they knew themselves. Faces grew so familiar that they felt like family. But still, everything had changed. The world built up around them, and Balamb City went from a quiet ocean town to a bustling city. It wasn't long before the former orphanage gang began to realize that their lives were pushing them away from their home and towards separate lives.

Rinoa had lost her selfish, childish ways, and she, too, entered a life of politics like her father, and like Squall's father. She won Timber's independence and pushed the thriving city to become more than it had ever been. Zell opened up his own martial arts school in Balamb City and his small business flourished quickly. Quistis had returned to teaching and helped run the Garden alongside the new headmaster, Squall. And even Irvine and Selphie found their lives pulling them away from the Garden, a place they never could have imagined leaving.

Edea offered them the orphanage, believing that it was time it was passed onto more able hands. Many tears followed Selphie as she and Irvine packed up their belongings and moved all the way to the orphanage. But they never remained far from home. They visited often and kept in constant contact with their friends. And Selphie and Irvine grew more and more in love with each other.

They worked together to rebuild the orphanage together, morphing and molding it into their perfect home. And the feelings of doubt still crept into Selphie's mind as the moment grew closer and closer…

"Selphie, baby, will you hand me that paint brush?" Irvine asked, kneeling down in front of the living room wall, stirring the paint with one hand, the other stretched out in her direction. She smiled and lifted the paint brush from the paint bucket, its bristles dripping with a soft yellow paint, her favorite color.

"Which brush?" She questioned, with a giggle. "This one?" And she dragged the paint covered brush across his hand, and he yelped. She dropped the brush, erupting into a fit of giggles. He turned and looked at her and his paint covered hand, a grin across his face.

"Oh, you're so funny, aren't you?" He jumped up and scooped her up in his arms, and finger-painted on her cheeks as she giggled and squealed. Finally they fell to the floor, breathing heavy, still laughing. "I love you, Selphie." He whispered, sitting beside her, taking her hand in his. "I really do." She smiled back at him, her thumb rubbing over his knuckles ever so gently.

"I love you too." Selphie felt his grip tighten on her hand and he leaned forward, gently placing a kiss onto her lips. He seemed to test her, swiping the gentlest kisses across her lips, before deepening the kiss. The soft scent of paint mingled in with his cologne and Selphie felt herself growing intoxicated with the feel of Irvine's mouth on hers. Her heart thudded in her throat as he lay down on the floor beside her, his hand leaving her grasp, to slip around her waist pulling her in for a deeper and more passionate kiss. Was this it? Was this the moment that she had spent so many hours contemplating over?

The anxiety began to burn deep within her, but she soon pushed it away. What was there to be nervous about? This moment, if it was indeed the moment, was theirs to share together. She trusted him in every possible way, and she knew that she couldn't imagine spending her life with anyone other than him. If she was to share this moment with any one person, it would be him or no one. And if there were consequences to suffer through as a result of this one precious moment she would share with him, at least she could be sure that they would suffer through them together.

His shirt slipped off and she ran her fingers down the muscles in his chest, savoring every inch of him. The kisses became frantic, hurried and sloppy as they struggled with each other's clothes, desperate to lay bare the raw feelings they had deep within them. Their breathing grew heavy and she whispered his name into his ear, and he whispered her name back. Their heartbeats matched beat for beat, as their pulses quickened and their skin flushed. And then she knew the moment was here.

They reached the second when their next move would take them to a new level of their relationship, a new level of maturity and responsibility, and a new level of closeness. They both hesitated, unsure, and nervous. Irvine brushed his hair from his eyes, gasping for air, and he stared down into Selphie's emerald eyes, the eyes he so often loved to get lost in.

"Baby… I love you… But… Are you sure?" He murmured, kissing her ever so gently and running his fingers through her silky chestnut hair. "I don't want to hurt you… And if you're not ready, we can wait! I just… I just don't want to mess up with you, baby… You mean everything to me…" Selphie laughed, and let all her inhibitions, anxieties and fears slip away. This moment was theirs, this moment was now.

"Irvine, I love you, too."

She kissed his lips and they stumbled into a world they had never known before, a world of beauty and love, a world that they would explore together. And their relationship was pushed to a new level, a level they faced with understanding and care. There were no consequences to be faced, only that they loved each other more and were more attentive. Their love had finally matured, and could fully blossom into what it had been meant to be. Splatters of light, love and lust stained their relationship in such beautiful ways, and Irvine soon learned that he wanted nothing more than to make Selphie his wife.


End file.
